Galatians
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We are not to use the book of Galatians to excuse sin or to teach that because we are saved by grace so it doesn't matter how we live in the flesh. In fact Paul is teaching here the opposite of that. Some here were trying to go back under the bondage of the law. Paul is pointing out that if they start trusting in the law again for their salvation instead of Christ then they have fallen from grace. So it is possible to fall from grace.

They had received the Holy Spirit not by keeping the law of the Old Testament but by the hearing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our salvation, mercy and the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes by our faith in Christ.

My dad told me once about a man that he knew that had such a hard time being saved. He thought he had to be good first. He felt that he wasn't good enough to be saved and had such a hard time believing that Jesus wanted to save him.

Thank God he was finally saved and realized that it was by the grace of God and by the Holy Spirit and there was nothing he could do to earn salvation. In fact Jesus came to save those just like him that felt unworthy of salvation. Little did the guy realize that none of us deserve God's salvation. All have sinned.

Paul was trying to get these Galatians to realize that they were saved by the faith and the power of God; not by their observance of the law. It was a free gift that came when they believed in Jesus Christ for their salvation.

He was not giving them permission to sin and still expect to be saved. He was pointing out that the observance of the old law, which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, was not what saved them, and was not what filled them with the spirit. Keeping the law was not what caused the miracles, healed the sick or baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Some of the Galatians had begun in the Spirit and were trying to perfect themselves in the flesh by observing circumcision and trying to force others to observe it even to the point of making the Gentiles think that circumcision was necessary in order to be accepted by God.

We today need to be careful not to add to the commandments and teachings of our Lord. We also must not take away from the teachings of the Lord. Jesus Christ is our salvation and not observing certain feast days, rituals, rites, etc. As far as sin is concerned we are told by our Lord to abstain from all appearance of evil. That should be enough to make it clear that we are not to go back into sin and expect to be saved because we are under grace and not under the law.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. This is what we should seek; the new birth in the inward man and not trust in outward religious observances to save us. Salvation is a change in the spirit of man. (When I use the term man, I mean women too). This conversion that is more than just a religion. There are not too many words we can use to describe the new birth but it is something real and something totally from God; not accomplished by our own works. It is received by faith in Jesus Christ.

Abraham was saved by faith. All Abraham did was believe God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Although Abraham was a good man that was not what saved him. He was made righteous because he simply believed God. This made him justified by grace. He believed. He believed from the heart. This faith will affect our outward actions but the outward actions alone without faith has no power to save. We are saved by faith. Our faith then produces actions. If we say we love someone but do not show that love with outward actions then we can have reason to doubt whether we have any love. True faith will be seen in our outward actions. It is not the outward actions though that saves, it is faith in Jesus Christ.

We actually become the children of Abraham by faith in Christ. The children of Abraham were the ones that received the promise of salvation. They were the ones chosen by God. This is our hope. We can become children of Abraham by faith in Christ. In Abraham was all nations to be blessed. This promise came before Abraham received the covenant of circumcision. He was saved by faith and not the works of the law just as those who also believe in Jesus Christ are saved by faith and are entitled to be called the seed of Abraham and the children of the promise. Outside of Christ is no salvation.

This does not mean that the natural children of Abraham are cut off forever. If we search all of the scriptures it shows God's dealing with the nation of Israel and that they too will receive this salvation by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. The sum of it all is that no matter what race, color, or lineage we are, we can be saved only one way and that is the way of faith through Jesus Christ. As I have said before, if there had been any other way, Jesus would not have had to die on that cross.

Why would we want to be back under the curse of the law. Without Christ we would all perish. At some point in our lives we would have broken the law in some way. We can try to keep it but we would fail. God gave us a way of perfection. He sent someone who did keep the law in all points and paid the penalty for breaking the law even though He did not break it. That is why His death can count in our place. He paid the price for our salvation if we believe in Him. We are free from the curse of the law. We are saved by faith now and not the observance of the law. What freedom, what joy, and so glorious.

God made a way of salvation so simple that a child can receive it; simple child like faith. Not a bunch of rituals, rules, ordinances but simple faith in the one He sent to us to take away our sins and make us a new creature. "The New Birth" Faith is powerful.

The law was given 430 years after Abraham. Abraham received the promise of salvation through faith years before. The law did not make that promise null and void. In the seed of Abraham (Christ Jesus) was all nations to be blessed. Salvation is for all that believe not just Abraham's natural descendants.

• Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

What was the purpose of the law then if it does not bring salvation? It showed us what sin was. It showed us what God expects. It shows us the need to have a savior and a need to be forgiven. It was given as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. It was added because of transgressions. There would have been no need of the law if man would not transgress and sin. Sin is transgression of the law.

The law condemned and did not bring salvation. It showed us how all have sinned. It did not bring a way out of sin. That was the promise to come: The hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. The law brought death instead of life.

The law shows all have sinned and need a savior.

Faith makes us children of God. We have been baptized into Christ.

This should end all thoughts of one race exalting itself against another. In Christ there is neither Jew, Greek, Gentile, male, female, slave or free person. Jesus Christ makes us the same. Notice this is not possible without Christ. There is no other power great enough to bring perfect harmony between the different cultures. Look at history. There have always been wars, fighting, racism, and hatred and will be until everyone on earth has genuinely been born again by the spirit. This is something that can't be forced by passing laws, protesting, complaining, and fighting. You can't force anyone to love one another. It is done by the power of the Holy Spirit. There is no other way.

If our countries are having problems getting along, they need Christ. If our schools are crumbling, we need Christ. If crime is prevailing, we need Christ. If adultery, fornication, pornography is rampant, we need Christ. The old saying, "Jesus is the answer" is true. There is no other way of salvation. DC